Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Moms’ parenting role includes household management
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- Figure 1: Moms’ priorities, by moms and dads, May 2017
- Young women more taken aback by the #ParentLife
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- Figure 2: What makes moms different – Select items, by age, May 2017
- Marginalized moms looking for representation
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- Figure 3: Targeting moms – Select items, by marital status, May 2017
- The opportunities
- If moms had the chance, they’d leave the house work to someone else
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- Figure 4: Mom survival, May 2017
- Moms agree that dads aren’t as clueless as they appear on TV
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- Figure 5: Targeting moms, May 2017
- Moms more price sensitive when shopping for basics
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- Figure 6: Correspondence analysis – Product purchases, May 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Number of moms in the US estimated at 43 million
- Average age of moms continues to increase
- New moms may not be married, but they aren’t necessarily “single”
- Moms still more likely to be the stay-at-home caregiver
- Social media appeals to the mom audience
- The “modern mom” may be code for the “educated mom”
- Fertility rate at an all-time low
Moms By the Numbers
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- An estimated 43 million moms in the US
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- Figure 7: Number of women who have ever given birth (in thousands), by age, June 2016
- Average age of moms creeps up
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- Figure 8: Average age of women giving birth in specified year, 1990-2015
- Figure 9: Birth rates, by age of mother, 1990-2014
- Cohabitation drives rise in births to unmarried women
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- Figure 10: Mothers' relationship status at first birth, by year of first birth, June 2016
- Stay-at-home moms greatly outnumber stay-at-home dads
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- Figure 11: Married couples with a child under age 15 at home, by presence of stay-at-home parent, 2006-16
- Two is the magic number
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- Figure 12: Women's number of children ever born, by age, June 2016
Characteristics of Modern Moms
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- Moms overindex on social media usage
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- Figure 13: Social media usage – At least daily, June 2017
- “Chore wars” between men and women continue
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- Figure 14: Parental time use, by moms and dads, 1965 and 2011
- Education drives delayed family planning
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- Figure 15: Share of high school sophomores in 2002 who were parents 10 years later, by level of education, 2012
- Educated women more likely to be in the work force
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- Figure 16: Labor force participation for women aged 16-50 who gave birth in the past 12 months, by level of education, 2006-15
- The US “baby bust” expected to continue
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- Figure 17: Annual births and fertility rate, 2005-15
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Flexibility may be key to improved maternity benefits
- Brands encourage moms’ “imperfect parenting”
- Diaper brands push more expensive training pants
- Parental burnout mirrors professional burnout
- Meal kit competition continues
- Support for moms comes in many forms
- Mom’s always watching
What We’re Into
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- Employers develop tangential maternity benefits to support new moms
- Yoplait takes aim at mom shaming
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- Figure 18: Yoplait ad – “You’ve Got This, Mom On!”, June 2017
- Figure 19: Yoplait ad – “Oh Hush, It’s Just Yogurt,” June 2017
- Kraft reminds us that moms are people too
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- Figure 20: “Kraft Macaroni & cheese Shapes: Spectator,” March 2017
- Figure 21: “Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: Swing,” March 2017
- The Baroness embraces messiness over perfection
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- Figure 22: Red Baron Pizza Presents The Baroness: War Stories, May 2017
- Figure 23: Brawny Pick-A-Size Paper Products, July 2017
- Dove uses #RealMoms as a springboard for new baby line
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- Figure 24: Baby Dove | #RealMoms, April 2017
- Figure 25: Dove Baby Rich Moisture Baby Bar, May 2017
What We’re Over
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- Most day care options offer limited flexibility for parents
- Huggies marketing strategy may face backlash
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- Figure 26: It’s time to potty! March, 2017
- Moms face the brunt of sleeplessness
- Marijuana use during pregnancy is still a question mark
- Moms can experience parental burnout, much like professional burnout
What’s Next
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- The popularity of meal kits spawns other mothers’ helpers
- Can the Peanut app help match moms?
- New research focuses on the difficulty of the “matrescence” transition
- Unilever sees women first, moms second
- Co-parents don’t think of their families as “broken”
- Parental controls 2.0
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Moms prefer their kids to dirty laundry
- CEO of the household is still mom
- The transition to parenthood may be tougher for young moms
- Moms looking for a laugh
- Moms seek to save on their regular shopping trips
- Moms are comfortable with parenting, but could do without the chores
Mom Survival
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- Moms look to offload household chores
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- Figure 27: Mom survival, May 2017
- In their own words
- Moms face challenges at different stages
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- Figure 28: Mom survival – Select items, by age of child, May 2017
- Married and single moms have a similar list of trials
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- Figure 29: Mom survival – Select items, by marital status, May 2017
- Like most, Hispanic moms may want more help around the house
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- Figure 30: Mom survival – Select items, by Hispanic origin, May 2017
Moms’ Priorities
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- Moms balance chores and childcare
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- Figure 31: Moms’ priorities, May 2017
- Dads less focused on household management
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- Figure 32: Priorities, by moms and dads, May 2017
- Financial concerns outweigh other issues for Black moms
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- Figure 33: Moms’ priorities, by Black vs non-Black, May 2017
- Moms of many find it hard to check items off of their to-do lists
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- Figure 34: Moms’ priorities, by number of children under the age of 18 in the household, May 2017
Changes That Come with Motherhood
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- Finances are top of mind for new parents
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- Figure 35: Changes that come with motherhood, May 2017
- Moms’ and dads’ lifestyle transitions are different
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- Figure 36: Changes that come with parenthood – Select items, by moms and dads, May 2017
- Young moms feel the lifestyle shift more acutely
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- Figure 37: Changes that come with motherhood – Select items, by age, May 2017
- New Hispanic moms make major changes
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- Figure 38: Changes that come with motherhood – Select items, by Hispanic origin, May 2017
- In their own words
Targeting Moms
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- Moms see the lighter side of parenting
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- Figure 39: Tide | Mega Modern Family, May 2016
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- Figure 40: Tide | Tide HE Turbo Clean: Baby Food, June 2015
- Figure 41: Targeting moms, May 2017
- Single moms want to see their lifestyles reflected in ads
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- Figure 42: Targeting moms – Select items, by marital status, May 2017
- Low-income moms feel more connected to “real” moments
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- Figure 43: Targeting moms – Select items, by household income, May 2017
- Ads for Black moms need to reflect their reality
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- Figure 44: Targeting moms – Select items, by Black vs non-Black, May 2017
Product Purchasing
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- Moms look for savings on routine purchases
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- Figure 45: Correspondence analysis – Product purchases, May 2017
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- Figure 46: Product purchases research steps table, May 2017
- After two, the number of kids can influence shopping and saving
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- Figure 47: Product purchases – Saving, by number of children, May 2017
- Single moms demonstrate frugality
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- Figure 48: Product purchases – Sale purchases, by marital status, May 2017
Moms’ Attitudes toward Motherhood Responsibilities
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- Moms take it all in stride
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- Figure 49: Ariel - #ShareTheLoad, February 2016
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- Figure 50: Moms’ attitudes toward motherhood responsibilities – How time is spent, May 2017
- In their own words
- Social media provides some support for moms
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- Figure 51: Moms’ attitudes toward motherhood responsibilities – Technology, May 2017
- In their own words
- Young moms embrace digital support
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- Figure 52: Moms’ attitudes toward motherhood responsibilities – Technology, by age, May 2017
- With experience, moms feel less overwhelmed …
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- Figure 53: Moms’ attitudes toward motherhood responsibilities – Stress, by age, May 2017
- …but additional children dampen that effect
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- Figure 54: Moms’ attitudes toward motherhood responsibilities – Feeling overwhelmed, by number of children, May 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Correspondence analysis – Methodology
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 55: Women's number of children ever born, by age, June 2016
- Figure 56: Mothers' relationship status at first birth, by year of first birth, June 2016
- Figure 57: Labor force participation for women aged 16-50 who gave birth in the past 12 months, by level of education, 2006-15
- Figure 58: Number of women who have ever given birth (in thousands), by age, June 2016
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- Figure 59: Annual births and fertility rate, 2005-15
- Figure 60: Average age of women giving birth in specified year, 1990-2014
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